Caretaker PM takes notice of load-shedding across country

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk on Tuesday took notice of the ongoing load-shedding in the country.

The caretaker PM was chairing a meeting of the power sector at the Prime Minister’s Office.

During the meeting, he directed Ministry of Power to take steps to overcome power sector losses and improve efficiency and sustainability of the system.

The briefing was attended by secretary of Power Division, MD of PEPCO, Managing Director of NTDC and other senior officials.

On administrative and technical issues resulting in high system losses and power theft, the prime minister expressed concern over the huge losses in various DISCOs and directed power ministry to immediately start taking steps for the curtailment of those losses.

He said every effort would be made by the federal government to get the required administrative support from the provincial governments towards addressing enforcement issues in the power sector.

He observed that a comprehensive plan should be prepared which would help the next elected government in further improving efficiency and sustainability of the sector.

The secretary of Power Division briefed the prime minister about overall outlook of the power sector including generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in the country.

The prime minister was also briefed about the current as well as anticipated power demand and supply situation.

He was informed that as compared to 18,753 MW in 2013, the current available generation capacity stood at 28,704 MW.

Due to weather conditions and the resultant reduced water supply, the hydel generation in May 2018 remained at 3,090 MW as compared to 6,333 MW in 2015. Every effort is being made to ensure strict implementation of the load management plan, which was approved by the cabinet for the month of Ramadan.

Earlier in the day, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif remarked that the caretaker government is responsible for load-shedding.

Caretaker govt is responsible for load-shedding, says Nawaz

There was no load-shedding when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was in governance, former PM said

Speaking outside the accountability court, he reiterated his earlier claims that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government added additional 10,000 Megawatts (MW) in the system. “There was no load-shedding when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was in governance.”

“When we left, everything in the country was fine,” he said while responding to a journalist's question on the country's power crisis.